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Health Authority Restructuring
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the change to overall management costs in the NHS of his health authority restructuring proposals. [1845]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 3 July 2001]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Changes to health authorities are one strand of the Shifting the Balance of Power initiative. The number of health authorities will reduce and, subject to the National Health Service Reform and Health Professions Bill, become strategic health authorities later this year. In addition, the number of primary care trusts will increase. There will also be changes to the Department. The reductions in bureaucracy made as a result of the whole reform programme will release savings of £100 million by 2004.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made on restructuring health authorities; and when he expects the changes to be fully implemented. [1846]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 3 July 2001]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Following the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on the shifting the balance of power initiative in April 2001, 22 simultaneous public consultation exercises on the boundaries of the proposed new health authorities were conducted between 7 September 2001 and 30 November 2001. The names of the 28 new, larger and more strategic, health authorities in England were announced on 18 December 2001. The names of their chairs (designate) were announced by the Appointments Commission on 19 December 2001. The names of the chief executives (designate) were announced on 21 December 2001. The 28 new health authorities will be established on 1 April 2002, when the 95 existing health authorities will be abolished. Subject to progress with the NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill, the new health authorities are expected to be designated strategic health authorities and to be fully operational in their new roles from October 2002.
Long-term Care
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the arrangements that he
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intends to put in place from October to ensure homeowners will no longer be required to sell their homes to pay for their long-term care. [2540]
Jacqui Smith: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Deferred payments arrangements came into force on 1 October 2001. Under this power, on admission to permanent residential accommodation, councils can agree to defer the contributions to care costs that residents would normally make from the sale of their home. Once the home is sold, the resident or their estate repays the council. If this repayment is made within 56 days, interest is not charged.
Councils have been given a grant to cover the cost of agreeing to deferred payments.
Health Action Zones
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce health action zones covering the Greater London area. [2848]
Mr. Hutton: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
There are already four health action zones (HAZs) in the Greater London area. East London and the City and Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham HAZs were established in 1998, and followed by Brent and Camden and Islington HAZs in 1999. There are no plans for further HAZs.
Health Authorities (Lancashire)
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the merger of health authorities in Lancashire. [2935]
Mr. Hutton: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Following the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on "Shifting the Balance of Power", the current 75 health authorities will be merged to form 28 strategic health authorities.
Three strategic health authorities will cover the north- west: Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside, and Cumbria and Lancashire. All of the proposed strategic health authorities have already been subject to a formal period of public consultation. The health authorities in Lancashire and Cumbria will therefore merge on 1 April 2002, but subject to legislation, the new health authorities will form the strategic health authority by the autumn.
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Hospital Trusts
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the powers he has to remove a chair of a hospital trust, indicating the circumstances where these procedures apply. [2937]
Ms Blears: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Under the terms of paragraphs 9(3), (4) and (6) of the National Health Service Trusts (Membership and Procedure) Regulations 1990, and paragraph 2(2) of the National Health Service Trusts (Membership and Procedure) Amendment Regulations 1997, the Secretary of State for Health can terminate the appointment of a chair or non-executive director of a national health service trust if:
- he is of the opinion that it is not in the interests of the health service that a person who is appointed as chair or non-executive director of an NHS trust should continue to hold that office;
the chair or non-executive director has not attended a meeting of the trust for a period of three months; or
if it appears to the Secretary of State that the chair or non-executive director has failed to comply with the requirements of the regulations with regard to disclosure of pecuniary interests in matters under discussion at meetings of the trust.
Hospices
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what Government funding is available nationally for (a) hospices and (b) children's hospices. [2853]
Yvette Cooper: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
It is for the national health service locally to make arrangements for financial support for both adults' and children's hospices, given the extent of local diversity both of the services provided and of alternative sources of local support.
In the NHS Cancer Plan we pledged that the NHS contribution to the costs of specialist palliative care (including hospices) would increase. By 2004 the NHS will invest an additional £50 million. This investment is intended to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and enable the NHS to increase their contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service.
Hospices will also benefit from £70 million allocated by the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) to support palliative care projects for adults and children. £22 million has been allocated for adults and £48 million for children to support palliative care projects for adults and children suffering from any type of life threatening disease, including services provided by children's hospices.
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Mental Health
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of mental health patients received a care plan in the last 12 months. [3452]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 11 July 2001]: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Information collected by the Department's common information core at end March 2001 shows that 94 per cent. of mental health patients on the enhanced level of the care programme approach (CPA) had a written care plan. Information is not available about the number of other mental health patients who have care plans, or of the number that received care plans over the past 12 months. March 2001 data are the latest currently held centrally but the Department plans to collect information about care plans for all those on CPA from April.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what local arrangements have been made under the Health Act 1999 to integrate council and NHS mental health services for (a) adults, (b) adolescents and (c) children; and if he will make a statement. [12020]
Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
A number of partnership arrangements under the Health Act 1999 have been set up to integrate mental health services, covering a total budget of approximately £300 million. A large proportion of this money has been allocated to adult services. Some of these projects incorporate child and adolescent mental health services, and there are also some separate projects for these groups.
Details of Health Act partnership arrangements are available at http://www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/ notifications.pdf.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those appointed as non-executive directors of the new Five Boroughs mental health care trust; and what proportion of those members are from the Warrington, North constituency. [41440]
Mr. Hutton: Of the six non-executive positions on the board of the Five Boroughs Partnership national health service trust, only the chair has been appointed to date. He does not live in Warrington, North. The NHS Appointments Commission expect to make four further appointments very shortly.
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the extra spending on mental health services over three years announced in "Modernising Mental Health Services" has been (a) allocated and (b) spent in each of the three years. [8176]
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Jacqui Smith: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002 Official Report, column 192W.
The allocation of additional central investment on mental health care over the three years from 1999 is shown in the table, (a) for each year, and (b) between health and social services (£ millions). The mental health national service framework contains national milestones and target dates which are monitored to ensure that they are being met.
| NHS | PSS(61) | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue investment | ||
| 1999–2000 | 68.5 | (62)46.0 |
| 2000–01 | 66.0 | 13.0 |
| 2001–02 | 12.35 | (63),(64)20.0 |
| Capital investment | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 4.5 |
| 2000–01 | 9.0 |
| 2001–02 | (65)68.0 |
(61) Personal social services
(62) 8 for camhs
(63) Of the £20 million, £1 million went to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions for the Homeless Mentally Ill initiative and a further £1 million is to be used for central initiatives.
(64) 5 for camhs
(65) Includes £5 million for acute psychiatric ward refurbishment, £9 million for Fallon, and £10 million additional funding issued mid-year.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in order to discuss training for school staff in the skills and knowledge to ensure children have access to early assessment and support in relation to mental health. [37389]
Jacqui Smith: Ministers and officials have regular meetings with colleagues at the Department for Education and Skills to discuss all matters surrounding child and adolescent mental health. I met Cathy Ashton on 6 February 2002. They are also represented on the child mental health External Working Group (EWG) of the Children's National Service Framework. The EWG will look at the access children have to early assessment.
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